Venus Williams Receives Wild Card to play at National Bank Open presented by Rogers

Tennis Canada today announced that former World No. 1 and seven-time Grand Slam champion Venus Williams has been awarded a wild card into the main draw of the National Bank Open presented by Rogers in Montreal. The tournament is scheduled to take place from August 4 to 13, as the world’s best players are set to face off for the prestigious National Bank Open title.

Williams, widely regarded as one of the greatest players to ever step foot on court, will be making her 12th appearance at the Canadian event. Her best result came in 2014 when she defeated her younger sister, Serena, to reach the final in Montreal. The 43-year-old American has captured 49 singles titles and reached 83 finals in her career – the most among any active female players.

“We are excited and honoured to announce that for the first time since 2018 Venus (Williams) will be back in Montreal to play in front of our incredible fans,” said Valérie Tétreault, Tournament Director of the National Bank Open in Montreal. “Venus continues to inspire the tennis world with her relentless effort and determination to getting back to the top of her game, and we are eager to witness her extraordinary talent on the IGA Stadium courts.”

The wild card that Williams was awarded – a Top 20 Wild Card – is reserved for players who were former World No. 1's, ranked inside the Top 20 in 2022, or have previously won a Grand Slam, WTA Finals, or a WTA 1000 tournament in singles.

This is the second wild card given for this year’s tournament, as Williams now joins Caroline Wozniacki as the first two players to in the field for the 2023 National Bank Open. On July 13, the National Bank Open organizing committee will be unveiling the remainder of its entry list for the WTA event in Montreal. Additionally, three tournament wild cards that will be awarded to Canadian players are set to be distributed closer to the start of the tournament.